Book Thread

[symple19]

Non-fiction: Stones into Schools, by Greg Mortenson.

Mortenson's Central Asia Ins ute is founded on the belief that basic education, especially of girls, is the most effective way to fight militant Islamism and promote enlightenment and social progress generally

This book is amazing, chronicling Mortensons successful efforts to build girls schools in some of the most inhospitable areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. At times it reads like an adventure story while also detailing the difficulties in running an NGO in a war-zone. His associates (from a former Taliban to a Pakistani with a mangled hand) make up a band of the most unlikely people to ever get together to build schools. Really reminded me that there are some very worthy causes out there, few more important than educating women. Highly recommended





Fiction: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

An epic tale of serial murder and corporate trickery spanning several continents, the novel takes in complicated international financial fraud and the buried evil past of a wealthy Swedish industrial family.

Some of the best characters I've read in a long time. Lisbeth Salander is without question my favorite. A punk-rocking, hard partying genius with a photographic memory. Doesn't take from anyone and is a whiz with computers. Ends up forming a team with a disgraced journalist to solve a mystery.

Larsson is magnificent at layering the book with multiple plot lines and then bringing them together. As good of a novel as I've read in recent memory.

This work is the first of his Millenium trilogy. Sadly, Larsson died in 2004, leaving these gems behind. Can't wait to read the other two.

[midnightpulp]

White Ninja, by Eric Lustbader
Jesus' Son, by Denis Johnson

[DJ Mbenga]

Anne Moody " Coming of Age in Missisippi"- Absolute classic. easy read, what a wonderful amazing story she had to tell. Great primary source of the civil rights movement and youth involvement.

Kevin M. Kruse "White Flight: Atlanta, and the Making of Modern Conservatism"- Not exactly a history of the rise of the new right, more of a civil rights movement history. basically people framed their opposition to housing in new terms that avoided overt racism and instead was worded in property rights etc.

Jane Dabel "A Respectable Woman: The public roles of African American women in 19th century New York"- Think black women didnt do during that time period? wrong. discussion of gender roles and family in this period. Women were more like the breadwinners of the black families than their white counterparts.

Eileen Luhr "Witnessing Suburbia: conservatives and christian youth culture"- want to know about christian metal? dudes who look like motley crue preaching about the bible? read it.

Michel Foucault "The HIstory of Sexuality: An Introduction"- My head hurts from reading this.

[balli]

I recently read Dune for the first time. It was pretty cool.

Non fiction wise- I just wrapped up Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla. Which was fairly heavy on the technical jargon, but incredibly interesting nonetheless. Dude was crazy. Maybe an alien.